1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to computer systems and, in particular, to graphical user interfaces. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to displaying current transparency characteristics of windows in response to an initiating event.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most operating systems provide a graphical user interface (GUI) for controlling a visual computer environment. The GUI represents programs, files, and options with graphical images, such as icons, menus, and dialog boxes on the screen. Graphical items defined within the GUI work the same way for the user in most software because the GUI provides standard software routines to handle these elements and report the user's actions.
A typical graphical element defined by a GUI is a window or other defined area of a display containing distinguishable text, graphics, video, audio and other information for output. A display area may contain multiple windows associated with a single software program or multiple software programs executing concurrently.
Often, when multiple graphical objects are displayed concurrently, the graphical objects will overlap. The order in which graphical objects are drawn on top of one another onscreen to simulate depth is typically known as the z-order. Typically, those objects at the top of the z-axis obscure the view of those graphical objects drawn below.
In some operating systems, a level of transparency or translucency may be applied to graphical objects, and in particular to windows. By applying a level of translucency to upper level windows, lower level windows are visible therethrough. Utilizing translucency is particularly advantageous such that the title bars for multiple levels of windows are visible where the windows overlap.
According to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/058,532 (Attorney Docket No. AUS920010518US1), the levels of transparency of windows may be adjusted in order to depict resource utilization in association with each window or to depict a current status of the application executing in association with the window. With multiple criteria determining the transparency of windows within a graphical display, it easily becomes confusing to a user what the transparency of each window means; and where the transparency of windows corresponds with a resource usage value, the user may not be able to visibly discern the transparency level with accuracy.
In view of the foregoing, it would be advantageous to provide a method, system, and program for dynamically displaying transparency characteristics for windows within a display area. In particular, it would be advantageous to provide a method, system, and program for dynamically displaying the transparency characteristics of windows, such that the transparency characteristic aids do not obscure the view of other graphics displayed.